South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1887-08-12
a WONDERFUL MAN.
Career of a Remarkable Old In
dian Slayer.
Sixteen of His Sons Served In
the Union Army.

When western Pennsylvania was the
frontier and the Indian fighter was the
most important and indispensable person
in the settlements. says Pittsburg let
ter to the New York Sun, Charles Bran
don was one of the best and most daring
of all the active foes of the red men. At
the age of years, in 1854, he was cap
tured by the Indians, who killed his
father ut the same time. This was on
the banks of the Ohio River. For twelve
years the boy was kept among the sava-
ges, but he disliked them, and escaped
when he was Is years old. He found a
white settlement, and learned to talk
his native language. From that time on
he gave his life to Indian killing.
In 1870, when the Indians were get
ting scarce, Charles Brandon married
young woman named Mary Meyers. She
bore him two children, and died. He
then married Fannie Slusher.s She bore
him eighteen children, and died in 1880.
Brandon was then nearly 20 years old.
When he was five years older he married
Sarah Barker, who was only 10. She
was the youngest of sixteen children.
She lived with him twenty -one wears.
bearing him in the meantime, fifteen
children. Then she got a divorce from
him, he being 96. The separation from
his. wife broke his heart, and although
he was at the time rs agile, strong. and
active as he was when he was married,
he pined away and died the same year
the divorce was obtained. He then had
thirty-three living children.
His divorced widow had had the care
of all of them, and she raised all that
were young enough to need raising.
Brandon had been the father of 30 chill
drcn, but two died, one child of his
first wife, and the other one of the 1S
his second wife had borne him. The
divorced widow moved to Moundsville.
West Virginia; and the most of the 33
children went with her. Among them
were two Johns and two Charleses. One
of the Johns and one of the Charlescs
were the third wife's children. There
was James who was old enough to go
to the Mexican war, where he was
wounded i'm the neck When the war
of the rebellion broke out the two Johns.
the two Charlcses, Sim, Evans, Peter.
Josephus, Hiram, James, Van Buren,,
Jacob, Abraham, Alexander, David.
Andrew, and Reese, of the sons, enlisted
in the Union Army, all in Ohio and
Virginia regiments. The third Mrs.
Brandon's John and Charles were taken
prisoners at Chickamaugua They were
both put in Andersonville prison. John
died in nine months; Charles was there
twenty-one months and escaped. Peter
was killed at Shiloh while his regiment.
the Seventy Ohio, was making
charge. All the other sons served
through the war and came home.
The third wife of the remarkable old
Indian killer, and mother and step
mother of his remarkable family, still
lives at Moundsville. She is 20 years
oiu OHtll tDTcc months ago she was In
destitute circumstances. Then she got
pension and $500 as her claim against
the government. She is six feet i'm
height, as straight as an arrow, as strong
as a man, and excelling niue out of every
ten men in power of endurance. Only
few days ago-onc of the hottest-she
walked to st. Clairsville, twenty miles.
in five hours, and back again in the same
time. She has only one eye The other
one was shot out about thirty years ago
by one of the second wife's BOYS. She
had occasion to correct him. He got his
bow and arrow and shot her, putting out
the eye. This remarkable woman knows
the whereabouts of only nine of the
thirty-three children. They live near
her
But, takin' them an their children.
an their children's children, there must
be nigh to a thousan' on 'em by this
time"